SHANE REIGNS
Irishman weathers the storm to turn tears into cheers
SHANE LOWRY was floating on air last night after turning the tears of hurt at Carnoustie 12 months ago into tears of joy at Portrush in a runaway Open Championship victory.
Lowry revealed after his six-shot victory over England’s Tommy Fleetwood that he had broken down following a fourth successive Open missed cut last year.
But, after closing out an historic victory on home soil to make it five Open wins by Irishmen in the past 13 years, he
was ecstatic.“I feel like I am in an out-of-body experience,” said the 32-year-old. “I can’t believe this has happened to me. It’s so surreal.
“I sat in the car park at Carnoustie this time last year and I cried. Golf wasn’t my friend. What a difference a year makes.
“Now look. I’m sat here now the Open champion and I just can’t believe it.
“After six or seven holes I told Bo Martin, my caddie, that I couldn’t stop thinking about winning and holding the Claret Jug, but he stayed on my back and kept talking in my ear. What a job he did today.
“I can’t wait to wake up tomorrow and see what I feel like. It’s just going to be incredible.”
It was the biggest margin of victory in a Major since Rory McIlroy’s eight-shot US Open victory at Congressional in 2011 and was achieved in the most testing of conditions with a one-over 72 in the final round.
“It was difficult out there – the weather was so hard and I wasn’t going great in the middle of the round – but then I had a look around and I could see everyone else struggling,” said Lowry.
“It turned into a two-horse race between Tommy and I, which was good for me, and I just tried to focus on staying as far ahead of Tommy as I could.
“My mum and dad sacrificed so much for me when I was younger and I’m so happy I can hand them this trophy.
“To be able to go out and celebrate with the local people is amazing. I’m going to enjoy this. There’s no doubt about that.”
He added: “I grew up holing putts to win The Open. It was always The Open. It’s just incredible to be sitting here with the trophy in front of me. Look at the names on it. I couldn’t believe it was happening.”